Tuesday 28 October 2008

Butternut muffins


It seems that at the moment you can't move on the blogosphere without bumping into a delectable pumpkin recipe. It strikes me that seasonal baking must be really integral to the American psyche, because everyone is pulling out all the stops to produce really amazing dishes.

If it isn't Esi's Pumpkin shortcakes with apple compote & vanilla honey icecream it is Susan's Pumpkin cheese pie with toffee caramel swirl or Kat's Pumpkin brown butter cupcakes with dulce de leche frosting or Natasha's velvety pumpkin pie. And of course all of the Tuesdays with Dorie bakers produced gorgeous Nutty pumpkin muffins.

There are probably a few savoury dishes out there too, but it is all the desserts that are really grabbing me!

So I decided to make a batch of my breakfast muffins but to add some butternut squash in a tribute to autumn and seasonal baking.

Butternut Breakfast Muffins
150g wholemeal S.R flour
60g oatmeal
1tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
40g soft dark brown sugar
50g demerera sugar
1 large carrot, grated (I leave skin on)
40g craisins
140g steamed, mashed butternut squash
120g seed mix (it's sunflower, pumpkin, flaxseed and sesame seeds)
1 bramley apple, grated (I quarter and core it, but leave the skin on - it ends up with some green skin in, but it sort of grates off the skin and is quicker than peeling first)
2 medium eggs
60g butter, melted (you can use veg oil if you prefer)
1tsp vanilla extract

Makes somewhere between 9-15 muffins, depending on your tin. I use a friand tin because I find they are the perfect size to just have one for breakfast.

Use a brush dipped in the melted butter to grease your muffin tins.

Preheat oven to 180C. Put the flour, oatmeal, cinnamon & salt into a large bowl. Add the sugar (the dark brown sugar clumps together, so stir it well into the flour), carrot, craisins, seeds, butternut & apple and mix until combined. Add eggs, the rest of the melted butter and vanilla and mix until combined. These are quite forgiving, you can mix them harder than average muffins and they don't go leathery.

Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes (depending on size), or until risen and browned. They don't rise that much because there is so much stuff in them!

Butternut Breakfast Muffins

It seems that at the moment you can't move ...

See Butternut Breakfast Muffins on Key Ingredient.

14 comments:

Sam said...

I've never been sure what to do with squash so this recipe is great.

Unknown said...

Looks delicious! I was thinking of making my family's pumpkin fruit cake but this may pip that idea at the post.

Sarah said...

Mmmmmm.... these sound good !

Darius T. Williams said...

Such a great idea - I'm in love with this!

-DTW
www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com

kat said...

Yum, these sound like the muffins my husband has been telling me his mom makes & that he wants...I'll have to make them for him

Joie de vivre said...

Are you kidding me? How do you think of this stuff? We are getting another squash in our CSA basket today which I have been dreading the thought of. These would be perfect, and my little ones love muffins so they would be eating the squash vs. when I put it in a soup and they stir it around. Thanks!

Esi said...

I think with this time of year and the plethora of pumpkins and squash at the farmers market, everyone feels compelled to do really great things with them. Just like these muffins which are lovely!

Heather said...

What a lovely idea! I can't think of any reason why this wouldn't work. Not that I usually can, but yeah. WHat about butternut souffle? Or pie? You've opened quite the can of worms here, madear.

MrOrph said...

These are great!

I always buy pumpkins and squash and then try and figure out what to do with them.

aforkfulofspaghetti said...

Hmmmm, now they sound good. They sound particularly good for breakfast. Problem is, I just can't see me being sufficiently organised/awake/bothered to make them first thing in the morning. I might have to turn them into 'mid-afternoon muffins' instead.

Teresa Cordero Cordell said...

These sound delicious foodycat. I want one right now. But I'll wait. You're an excellent cook my friend.

~~louise~~ said...

What a refreshing seasonal recipe. I also think people are trying to preserve the spirits of the bounties harvest more this year than most. Your Butternut Muffins are filled with bountiful goodies.

Thank you so much for sharing.

hungryandfrozen said...

Oh wow, these look delicious, and I am a sucker for anything with oats and seeds in it :) Pumpkins are stupidly cheap over here so I may definitely have to try these asap! Now if I can just find someone to cut the darn things for me...

Alicia Foodycat said...

Sam - butternut is so delicious roasted with olive oil! I can't believe you aren't suer what to do with it!

Thanks Alide.

Sarah - they were!

Darius - it's a good commuter breakfast.

Kat - they've got so much healthy stuff in them but they still taste good.

Joie - stealth vegetables are good vegetables!

Esi - I think you are right, these things are so tempting to cook with!

Heather - butternut & feta pastries are good too.

Mr Orph - they are the best roasted until really caramelly alongside a roast chicken!

Forkful - they keep well! No way am I Stepford enough to make them in the morning!

Teresa - thank you darling!

Louise - I have noticed that! I guess it is the economic uncertainty that is making everyone preserve.

Laura - just get yourself a nice sharp cleaver.

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